thoughts from a freelance editor on self-editing, writing, and reviewing Christian fiction... with a little bit of life thrown in

Monday, June 6, 2016

The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson

About the Book:

The Beautiful Pretender (Thomas
Nelson, May 2016)

What happens when a margrave realizes he’s
fallen in love with a servant?

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He
invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at
Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their
true character.

Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her
deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s bride.
Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one
must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand
in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from
herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny
her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something
sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences. Will Avelina be
able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost?

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer’s Apprentice, a Christy Award
finalist and winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award for Best First Book.
Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of
Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and
two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.

Margie’s
Comments:

I love Melanie Dickerson’s fairy tale retellings, and her
latest book The Beautiful Pretender does
not disappoint. Of course who doesn’t respond well to any “Beauty and the
Beast” tale? Including Disney’s rendition of the old fairy tale. But I think
the most satisfying aspect of Melanie Dickerson’s books is the faith element
that she includes. When Avelina is forced by her master, the Earl of Plimmwald,
to stand in for his daughter at the Margrave of Thornbeck’s test for a bride
she has nowhere else to turn to for help but to her faith in God. So when she
finds herself in a situation with worse consequences than her failure to the
Earl of Plimmwald, her only recourse is to tell the truth . . . no matter the
cost. The main characters in The
Beautiful Pretender are endearing, even “the beast.” And the plot is well
developed, making for a very satisfying, and surprisingly quick, read.